With the Startup Challenge 2025, the ZHAW is once again offering a platform for entrepreneurial talent. Young founders are given the chance to hone their ideas and pitch in front of a panel of experts for prices worth over CHF 10,000.
The ZHAW Startup Challenge was officially launched with an energetic kick-off on Wednesday, 26 March 2025. At the kick-off event, numerous prospective founders gathered to share their ideas on a larger scale for the first time and take the first steps towards entrepreneurial realisation.
The challenge is aimed at students and members of the ZHAW who want to take off with a business idea – regardless of whether it is already mature or still in its infancy. Over the coming weeks, participants can expect an intensive programme that combines theory and practice in a unique way. Individual coaching sessions will help them to refine their own business model, while practical workshops will impart expertise in areas such as pitching, prototyping, marketing and financing. The programme is complemented by peer learning formats and targeted networking opportunities with experts from the startup scene and the business world, as STARTUP CAMPUS Switzerland writes in a statement on LinkedIn.
Special attention is paid to the final pitch, where the best teams present their projects to a panel of experts. There are prizes totalling over CHF 10,000 to be won at the final pitch. However, for many participants, the true value of the challenge lies not only in the price money, but also in the experience gained, personal growth and the chance to become part of a committed start-up community.
